Leinster House staff told to close windows after rogue fox 'urinated all over office'

Exterminator reports said foxes were coming to feed on food debris from skips in an area of the Oireachtas buildings called the Fisheries Yard.

A "strong smell" of fox urine was noted at the site, with advice given for the skips to be tightly closed off and for the area to be thoroughly washed down.

The inspection report said it was important all windows would be kept shut in the evenings, as this "presented easy access for unwanted pests".

"A fox was noted in a neighbouring property (Government Buildings) only recently and it urinated all over an office," it said.

The report was one of dozens dealing with moth infestations, dead rats, fouling pigeons and overgrown vegetation across the Leinster House complex and its surrounding buildings.

Details released under FOI reveal the Oireachtas spent almost €65,000 on pest control services between January and mid-November of last year.

Reports from March detail a flurry of activity around the Leinster House campus amid reports of the wandering fox and rats digging holes.

One callout came after a dead rat was discovered in the car park. "Heavy burrowing" had been reported in the area.

An inspection report said: "Dead rat was removed for disposal, and rat burrow holes were also treated with rodenticide and thoroughly back-filled with soil and gravel to stop any non-target species gaining access to this area."

Later that month, exterminators also found what was described as "overgrown vegetation" in the courtyard of the Leinster House 2000 building.

They said this was likely to be a magnet for unwanted wildlife and required immediate removal.